FOOTBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2504, 19 March 1902, Page 50

FOOTBALL.

NOTES BYFULT. BACK. The Union Ciub intend despatching a team to Chrietchurch at Easter to play their Miirjal fixture with Liny. ood About 25 members have signified their intention of making the trip. The team, which will he Managed and captained by Mr D. Munro, will do accommodated at the Clarendon Hotel m Ihe Cathedral City.

At a committee meeting of the Union Football Club, the club' 6 delegates to tho O.R.i'.U. were instructed to bring before that body the desirability of leaving out country clufcb, such as Portobello and West .Taieri, from the Junion Flag competition, en the ground that it was impossible for the home teams to visit thebe places iv an afierroon, and for a further reason that the clubs mentioned ne\ er made an effoi t to play return matched in town

George Thomson, a member of the Union First Fifteen of last season, will, while he is taking cla63Bs at the Otago University, play for that institution, but will return to the aorth-end club the following season.

Union full back Adam and an Otago rep. man of la3t year, who il was freely rumoured wa« going to fciive Rugby the go-by and fling in his lot with Association, gives- an emphatic denial to the statement, and saja he ie gokig to stick to '"Rugger. ' He will hs found occupying his old position of lull back for the Maroons again this season, and will accompany that team to Chrietchurch at Easter.

Aimstrong, the Union half back and Otago representative, has been out of town for several week*, harvesting in the Studhohne district. He will, however, be available for the coming football season, and Easter ■will see hio in his old position ac half back for Union.

Bert Cramond. who was in tho fust flight of Dunedin's First Fifteen backs of last year, intends leaving the Dark Bluc-6 and joining the Pirates for the coming season.

C. Hislop, who played fo successfully m the half back division of the Pirates last Reason, ia now stationed at, Balclutha, where he is employed in the Fanneis 1 Co-operative. He Bay?" that there is a possibility of the South Otago Rugby Union being defunct this Seaeon. and the clubs which were affiliated to that body joining tho Otago Rugby Union The subject vvps to come up for dis ci'ssiou at ?ho meeting to be held at Balclutha to-night. Knikorai expect to again place a very powerful first fifteen in the held The ful l back, it is rumoured, will be Miller, who played so we!' in that department for Zingari last season. The three-quarters will be the samo as last year— Baxter, Booth, and Wilkineon. Sinclair will ho the half, but a new five-eighth will ha\e to be found to replace the veteran, Duncan, who ex presses hib intention of retiring. The lorwardb will be a very powerful lot — tery heavy and veiy much in earnest. Besides t-evera! of last year's forward*. the Blue and B'nok vasijjuurd will he greatly strengthened by Permanent Artillervmau Pnrtoous. whose disqualification has expired; Quin, another 'Permanent Artilleryman, who played foi a Wellington Club; Mathews, an Otago rep., who last year played for the Union ; and Torrance, late of Zingari Altogether, the prospects of the redoubtable Kaikorai again tpnear to be of the very best. I hear that Dick Ellison, a brother of the well-know Tom, of Wellington, intends joining Kaikorai this year. Young Ellison, who was a member of the Native team at (Portobello last season, is a likely looking player, and has the- football instincts of his redoubtable brother fully developed. The Kaikorai will be minus the services jbf Morrison and Maedouald from their first fifteen ranks this &eason, but the addition »f several new front-rankers will more than counterbalance this less Morrison is working on the West Coast and Maedouald on tv« O.t»«o Central.

The arfnual meeting of the Otago Rugby Union will be held on Saturday, Slarch 22. Sr-veral important items will be brought up, one of which will be the receiving of a petition circulated in the interests of the Otago team of 1887 which toured the colony, and who, the petition claims were promised a refund of the £5 deposited towards the expends of the trip. It will be interesting at this stage to note who constituted the Otago team of 1887 which toured the island : Full back, D. Fraser (Union) ; three-quarter backs — J. Bee (Union), R. Millar and P. Keogh (Kaikorai), and A. Downes (Alhambra) ; half backs— R. Fraser (Pirates), J. B. Thomson (Pirates), T. A. Hunter (captain ; Union), D. Simpson (Montecillo) : foi wards— C Beck :Montecillo), C. Diamond (Pirates), A. B. Drabble (Pirates), J. B. Gibson (Taieri). R. Isaac 3 (Montecillo), R. Martin (Dunedin), W. M'Farlane (Union), A. W. Moms (Pirates), H. Treseder (Zingari-Richmond) The veteran footballer Duncan assures me that he has definitely made up his mind to retire from football this year. Ho finds that the kicks and bruists extending over a period of 15 years on acuve service on the football field are at last beginning to tell on him. I questioned him as to his reconsidering his present decision in view of the New Zealand team' 9 tour to New South Wales in 1903 D"uncan said that he had thought It all out and had at last decided to give the game best, and when the New Zealand team toured in 1903 he thought he would be forgotten or remembered only as a "has been." At the same time I am of the opinion that when the football season :s in full swing the veteran Duncan will he seized by an irresistible longing to again don the jersey, and it will only be a question of a man short in his team some Saturday afternoon when he will be seen in the thick of the fray, and playing ap earnestly as ever. In the meantime, Duncan has made his last brilliant opening on the football field, and shown r.s that generalship which has made him .'o famous in football m New Zealand. Duncan expressed 10 me his intention of coaching the Dunedin club for the coming season, so that he will not he lost sight of altogether, and a club (the oldest in Dunedin) which has not been having the bent of. lurk in the past will have the benefit of being coached by the best footballer nncl the most able general New Zealand has ever porduced. R. Murphy, the ex-Otago rep. forward, I am sorry to hear, met with a painful accident last wepk. He was working on the Otago Central line at Middlomaroh, and, while cutting a piece of wire holding back one of tho gate-, shutting the line, the wire flew up, striking him on the eye and inflicting Mich an injury that an operation was necessary, with tiie result that the ey<3 had to be removed altogether. This serious accident is greatly to be deplored for Murphy's own sake, and, again, for the sake of football, in which pashrae he was such a worthy exponent.

C'horles Bush, who represented both Canteibury and Southland on the football field, and al*o the latter province at cricket, has returned to Wellington, where he has been elected captain of the Orientals for the coming season. Wallace, tho ex-Otago representative, repcutod in last issue as being confined in the Wellington Hospital with an attack of typhoid fever, is now, I am pleased to chronicle, recovering rapidly. When the New South Wales footballers were in New Zealand m August last year Tom Costello, the skipper of the team, was injured. Mr and Mrs H. Tnrrant, of Wellington, generously attended to tl-e footballer, and in many other ways showed acts of 1> indues?, which were greatly appreciated. The New South Wales Rugby Union has decided to recognise the services of Mr and Mrs Tarrant by forwarding a present to each, besides a letter of thankb.

(iwyn Nicholls, the Welsh international three-quarter back who came out to Austialia with the Rev. Mollineux's team, is described aa the finest three-quaiter back in the United Kingdom. He will always rank as one of the groat player-, of Rugby , football. NjclioHs is 2T 2 years of age, stands j sft llin, and weighs 13 stone The second international mattli of the Home football soason was to have taken place on February 1 between Scotland and Wales at Cardiff The fact that Scotland won the International championship last year and that Wales just managed to defeat England at Elackhpath some three wpokn previous (?a\o an added interest lo the contest, and it was expected that 40,000 persons would witness it. Our English exchanges up to that date are not yet to hand, so I cannot give the result of the* game. Nolan Foil, the ex-Otago three-quarter back, was to have represented Scotland ag&msl Wales. Uiving the biography of the individual players on each side, London \ Spoilsman has the following to say about the one-time Olago flyer:— A. N. Fetl (Edinburgh Unnersity). — Though born in NewZealand, whore he learned the early null ments of the gnme. Fell has learnt all his fir B t dats football at Edinburgh. A brilliant right wing, he is always tembly dangerous when <ai tho run, as England, Ireland, and Wulc* knew to their 10-t labt .spa-ou. When going at full t-ucod he ha.s a do\er swerve, which linan.iblv onablei him to get through, while in addition he al-o plays with his •■ Lead." It i- tomowhat surprU.ng to road in the. above that Fell merely 'oarut the early ludimonts of football in New Zealand, and that he learnt all h,s nr?>l class football in Edinburgh. When the present writer knew Fell, the ex-Otago Univeisity three-quarter back and old Blue for thib province was in the first flight of brilliant backs, and it was freely expressed here that when he went Home he would not bo long before gaining international honours. How true that prediction came forth is now history, for it «ai in the following -ea on after playing foi his university (Edinburgh) Foil was leeogmsod as a now star vi the Scottish, football woihl, and won that n>Obt cotetcd of a'l honours— hi* international cap. An old Dunedin footballer, who has ju^t returned from Scotland, and who knew Fell as a crack footballer on Otago's football j field, saw the flyer in hi=. fir-t intorna''onal match at Glasgow last year, and says he I played a grand game, his running and dodgj ing being a tieat to witness. Fo'l easily out- . shono every oth"r back on the ground, and I upheld the traditions of Maoriland for turning out crack footballers. If Fell could gain international honours after his first f-eason in Scotland, the early rudiments of training he received in New Zealand must hate reached f. very high standard. It takeß more than a pca'-on to bring out an international, but Fell had it in him, and we in Otago who knew his worth on the local football fields said that some, day he would be a great player — and c o bn \*. 1 should uot be aurfiri^cu to knoii. j^t fej] jju« ifi-

cured more tries this season than any other playei in Scotland. The bij? match between those old rivals Blackheath and Richmond took place at Blackheath in January, and resulted in a decisive victory for the Heathens bj 2 goaN and 1 try to 1 try.

An international contest on a =mall scale was played at the Pare an Prince Autouil (France) between a strong Fifteen from England, representing the Civil Service, and the Racing Club do France. The Englishmen defeated the Frenchmen by 2 goals and 4 trice to 1 penalty goal.

The international match between England and Ireland was to have taken place at Leicester on February 8. Particulars w ill appear on the ariival of the English mail.

Tho annual general meeting of the Star Footba'l Club. Invercargill, was held in the Prince of Wales Hotel on Friday evening. Mr J. Harper (vice-president) occupying the chair until the arrival of Mr J. Stead (president). Over 50 members attended. The repoit showed that the club had won the premiership of Southland for the twelfth year m su^ce^ion. Since entering tl.e senior ranks in 1687. 143 games had been played, of which 117 were won, 16 drawn, and 10 lost. The total points scored were 1293 for and 97 against. The finances are in a healthy state. The election of office-beaier.a for the enfuing year resulted as follows: — President, Mr John Stead ; vice-president; — Dr Hogg and Messrs J. H. Kingeland, J. Aepray, E W. Wright, J. Harper, J. E. Mackenzie, M. M'Neilage, J. Wildcrmoth, A. Bain, and George Munro ; captain, D. Donaldson ; deputy, G. Burley ; secretary and treasurer. R. D. Donaldson ; Match Committee — Captain, deputy, and I. Jenkins; Gcneial Committee — B. Bain. P. Anderson, W. Fraser, and L. Murphy; delegate*, to S.R F.U— Mobsr-, P. Ander-on. J Aspray. and W. J. Stend. The epening of the' club's &eaeon was fixed for Wednesday, 9th April. Twenty new members were •lected.

H. Dansey, one-time captain of Mc-male Club. Chnstchureh, who wa-> transferred from tho Engineers Department of the Now Zealand Railways, Christchurch, to that office 11. Duiiedni last year, has expressed his intention of donning the icr-ey on behalt of th" Pirates this season.

Amongst those already mentioned as being lost to Kaikorai this season is Randall, who was one of the Blue-and-blacks' bet forwards last year, ho having been transferred to Wellington. Tne English mail which arrived last night bi ought particulars of the great international content between Scotland and Wales, played at Cardiff on February 1, in the presence of 40,000 spectators. Contraiy to expectations, Wale- defeated the Scottish team by one goal and three tries to one goal. The principal interest in this contest as far as New Zealanders are concerned was the fact that the ex-Otago representative. Nola.ll Fell, was playing in the three-quarter line for Scotland. I regret to chronicle that Fell mco with a painful accident, necessitating lu3 retirement at an early sta-ge of the game. Describing the accident, London Sportsman says: "In one way Scotland were undoubtedly handicapped by a most unfortunate accident to Fell, the right wing threequarterback, who, early in the game, in tackling a rival from behind, slipped, and coming down rather heavily, happened to come into contact with a rival forward's heel, with the result that he cut his right eye very badly. After having it bound up. however, he continued to play right throughout in a most plucky manner, but it was simply on sufferance, and at the end of the game he was enticed by two members of the Welsh Union to proceed with them in a cab to the infirmary, where he had this nasty cut stitched in five places."

Mr J Hutchison, in seconding the adoption of the report at the meeting of the Pirates CluD. gave a few seasonable words of advice to players. He said that at last annual meeting he ventured to suggest one or two points in the game which inc-iii-bers might find it to their advantage to practise. He referred more especially to potting goals and place - kicking. Ho had looked through the records of the pa*t yoai in legard to senior matches, and he thought he was right in paying that only one goal was potted. Seeing that a potted goal was worth 4 points and a try was only worth 3. it was a great pit> to neglect the art of potting. A man could with practice make himself fairly certain at potting from a fair range, and the same remark applied to place-kicking. A man who liked U> practise regularly every morning could in a very short time kick a goal seven times out of ten, and a striking example of the value of place-kicking occurred in the last two interprovincial matches between Otago and Wellington, wh«n on each occasion the game, was lo&t to Otago by the excellent place-kicking of an opponent in the la-st fo,w minute«. Mr Hutchison said ho would like also to suggest that the tune had come when, olubq nhould adopt a new syvt"m of play, and give up relying almost entirely on the attacking of the backs. Let them have good dofeiiMvo backs and attacking forwards. The flub that was fiist in mtiodncing a forward game, 111 which the forwards broke away quickly from the line-out, wont in fr r short kicking, fast following up. and sine tackling, after the f-tyle now in vogue among loading teams at Home, would meet with vary on-Herable feuc'coss Ho was afraid th.it Dunedin football had be f n rather spoilt by cx f es-.he attention to hack play. Latterly northern teams had paid more atten tion to forward play, and since then wo had not been able to look forward with the same degree of confidence in regaul to inlf-rprovincial matches as formerly.

The Union Club held a practice at Moutecillo on Saturday in which a fair number of players took part, and a very interesting game ensued. Members are requested to attend Union Mreet Hall on Tue»diiy evening for training purposes

The Alliambta Club held a veiy -ucp-sful practice match at the Alhainbia ground, the juniors especially shovviniz exrollcj it foim R. Bennet, ,f. King, M'Hardie, Lawiy, Larkin=, and H. Voyce each scored tries, while P Bennot was most sucecb^ful with goal-kicking Next Saturday the ti;am for the northern lour will be selected.

The Southern Football Club opened the season on Saturday with a match between tea me chosen from members of the dub Tae attendance wa6 very fair considering 4|JKlt it was the firet match of tho season aßcl also the earliuess of the opening day. A fa-t and, at times, interesting game waa played, the side captained by Foster 111 the end defeating Popham's team by 9 points to 6 The club bend a fifteen to Christchurch at Eaf-ter time to play the Albion, and although ma'iy of the old lianas 1 will be niifsmg, o\wng to removal to other di-tricts and absence with tho contingents, it, is expected that the representatives of 1 the club will give a very good account of

themselves against their northern opponents, and later on against their local opponents. The annual meeting of tho Pirates Football Club, held 111 Wain's Hotel last night, was largely attended by members. Mr -T. A. Hu.-kmg (president) occupied the chair, and tlirr° were nome 40 gentlemen present. The following office-bearers were elected: President, Mr J. H. Hoiking; vice-presi-dent.—Messrs J. F. M. Frr.&er, J. Hutchison, J S. .Hislop. and Crosby Morris ; captain, Mr .7. W. Matthewson ; deputy captain, Mr (i. H. Buchanan ; secretary and treasurer, Mr W. Saunders : committee — Messrs J. R. Burt, R. Wilson, R. Fisher, and C Mat George; delegates to 0.R.F.U., Messrs P. J. Priest and J. R Burt.

Ttie annual meeting of the Zingari-Rich-mond Football Club was held last evening j in the European Hotel. Mr C. J. Payne j (president) occupied the chair, there being a. good muster of members. The elertion of office-bearers iesulted as foi- , lows: — President, Mr J. Caradus ; vice- , presidents, Messrs C. J. Payne, J. B. Simpson, G. Dunn, and W. M'Beath ; hon. secretary. Mr B. Collie ; hon. treasurer, Mr W. MiHhpll: General Committee — Meters G. Smith, W. Smith, C. Stewart, R Abbott, W. Mahone, E. Austin, B. Spiers, A. Smith, W. Mitchell: Provisional Match Committee , — Messrs G Smith, C. Stewart. E. Austin; ' delegates to O R.F.U.— Meesr-? D. Oameron ■ and (i. Dunn : delegate to Athletic Protection Society, Mr B Colhe : auditor, Mr C. .1 Payne. 1

ASSOCIATION

The Duncdm team to meet the Wellington Swift.? at Christi hurch is evidently detern, inrd to give a gooci account of itself.

There v ere over 30 rlayprs at Wakaii Park on Saturday, the form shown by somp of the men being really surprising, and augurs great thicifjs for tho coming season. The sides were very evenly matched, and a fa^t frame resulted in G M'Millan's team beating Doherty'-, selection by seven goals to 1 i\ Groat interest was centred in two recentlyarrived Home players, whoso enthusiasm for tho " Kocker " game had !od them up to Wakari to have a flutter. Both exhibited remarkable skill in footwork, and are rattling kicks and splendid shot*.

Irwno, tho Northern crack right wing forward, was in clinking form, and has rarely piayed better than he did on Saiuiday. If ho continues as at present, a representative cap ought to be his for a certainty this season. M. Gilroy, playing half back, was also in splendid form, and played a^ if he could never tire.

The Unity Club were theio in force, and some of their mm — especially Glaister and Rodger^ — played in a manier that looks very promising for the success of this newlyformed club.

For players wishing to put in as much practice as possible before the ceason commences an opportunity will be offered by a trip to Kaitangata on Good Friday? The claims of our Kaitangata teams are fully recogni^od by the town clubs, whose duty it i 3, nncl especially of those who have had visits in pa=,t t>pa-3ons from Kaitangata teams, to do all i» their power to give the "miners" as many games as possible in their own town.

The father club of Dunedin- tho Roslyn— will celebrate their fourteenth birthday next Friday night at tho Kaikorai School Gymnasium in the form of their annual meeting.

N.Z. RUGBY UNION

WELLINGTON

March 14

At the meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union to-night the union's delegate to the Intercolonial Conference of Unions, which was held at Sydney last month, submitted his report. This report pointed out that the conference was of opinion that it could not iccommend the formation of an Australian Board of Appeal, the difficulties of communication being too great at present. Rules for the conduct of intercolonial visits had been agreed to. These provide that^ the New Zealand team to visit New South Wa'es in 1903 bhall also visit Queeni>land, the expenses to Bmbane to be borne by Queensland. An Australian toam shall play New Zc-aland at Sydney, the receipt* to be taken by New South Wales. Queensland to get 5 per cent. The New Z.-alrfiul team to play heven matches in New South Wales and thipo in Queensland. It was, al»o recomU'ended that an Australian team v isit New Zealand in 1905, and that a New Zealand toam shall go to Queensland in 1907, three matches to bo played against all Australia on this tour. It was clpcided to-night to refer the leoummendafcions of the conference to the various New Zealand union?.